Hannah Kobayashi's Family Reacts to Police Saying She Voluntarily Went to Mexico After Appearing to Vanish from Airport

"We are deeply grateful for the urgency and dedication law enforcement has shown," they said

Hannah Kobayashi’s family is speaking out after police say what seemed like a weekslong missing persons case was in fact Kobayashi’s “voluntary” decision to travel to Mexico.

“We are deeply grateful for the urgency and dedication law enforcement has shown in investigating Hannah’s disappearance,” Kobayashi’s family said in a statement to NBC News and NewsNation.

Kobayashi, a 30-year-old Hawaii woman, appeared to vanish from Los Angeles in early November after failing to board a flight to New York, where she had traveled from Maui, her family has said.

Police began investigating in the days after and the case drew national attention. Kobayashi’s loved ones also said she had sent strange texts before contact was lost.

“We are terrified,” her aunt Larie Pidgeon previously told PEOPLE. “We’re really afraid.”

On Monday, Dec. 2, L.A. police said they had determined based on surveillance footage that Kobayashi decided to cross the border into Mexico on Nov. 12, one day after her family said her phone had last pinged at the L.A. airport.

“We urge Ms. Kobayashi to contact her family, law enforcement or personnel at the U.S. Embassy to let us know that you're safe," L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell said at a news conference.

"She has a right to her privacy and we respect her choices, but we also understand the concern her loved ones feel for her," McDonnell said. "A simple message could reassure those who care about her."

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McDonnell said that Kobayashi was “alone, with her luggage and appeared unharmed” when she went to Mexico and that there was no evidence she was “being trafficked or is the victim of foul play.” 

The investigation also determined that Kobayashi had, in the past, "expressed the desire to step away from modern connectivity," McDonnell said.

Her family, in their own statement, said they are “committed to doing everything possible to bring her home safely.”

They also cautioned against what they called “speculative conclusions.”

“Spreading awareness and sharing verified information about her case is crucial, and we deeply appreciate your continued support in these efforts,” they said.